The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk is an excellent read for any therapist or body worker who works with clients with trauma. I have met Van Der Kolk personally and the thing I love the most about this book (and his method of treatment) is that he advocates a “Use what works” type of mindset. He advocates for the use of multiple treatment methods for healing trauma. His book specifically recommends the treatment of Neurofeedback and EMDR (two things our clinic offers) as well as other methods, like Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing method, and even drama therapy.
The treatment of trauma is intense and can be challenging on both the client and the practitioner. The Body Keeps Score is a great overview of a variety of different healing methods for trauma, but does not go into enough detail on any one specific method to be used as a stand-alone. This book is a good start for someone looking to specialize in trauma treatment. The way I read the book was to think about the different techniques and then think about my own personal style of counseling and then determine if there is one area that I want to be specialize. No one can know everything, but everyone can know somethings and this book was a good overview on different methods.
I personally haven’t still figured out what I want to specialize in, but we do have therapists in our center who do know what they like and are top experts in Neurofeedback and EMDR. We have treated many children with traumatic experiences using these two methods and know that we can help your child or situation. Call us today to learn more about how we can meet your child’s needs.
(Affiliate links are included to Dr. Van Der Kolk’s book)